Clandestine Phoenix
by SelfControl
Summary: Sequel to Clandestine Bluebird - Agent Casey McDonald has been assigned a new and very dangerous mission while working for The Swan Agency that may not only jeopardize her relationship with Derek, but also the millions of lives at stake. Will she succeed, or will an unlikely ally be mistaken and put it all at risk, including Casey's life? I guess you'll have to read to find out.
1. Chapter 1

**Here it finally is! The sequel to Clandestine Bluebird. If you haven't read CB, I suggest reading it before starting this. It would definitely make a lot more sense. **

**I'm Excited to share this new story with you and I hope you enjoy it! **

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**Preface**

Two years ago, Casey MacDonald was an undercover agent working for a secret spy agency known as _R.E.D._ Her stepbrother, Derek Venturi, was thrown into the picture when his life was threatened by the same man that Casey and _R.E.D. _were trying to take down; the two ended up realizing their true feelings for each other while simultaneously saving the world from an evil plot, along with the help from Casey's long time partner Benjamin Blake and agent in training Karma Hesston.

After the world was safe again and the two stepsiblings became an item, Derek joined _R.E.D._ and began his training to become a secret spy to work alongside the woman he loved, refusing to let her out of his sight again.

The couple was soon approached by an agency even more clandestine than _R.E.D. _known only by a handful of spies as _The Swan_. They were offered a job, along with the rest of Casey's team, to work undercover for _The Swan_ agency and reluctantly accepted.

There were, however, a few setbacks to this new job opportunity.

_The Swan_ headquarters was located in an underground compound in Washington, D.C, which meant the team had to relocate to the United States.

The four agents needed to be re-trained according to _The Swan _standards and put through many rigorous courses and tests to determine their strengths and weaknesses when it came to working the field.

In order for the secret of _The Swan_ agency to be kept, their files had to be erased from their former agency and the memories of Agent MacDonald, Agent Blake, Agent Hesston, and newcomer Agent Venturi were wiped from every mind that worked for _R.E.D._ and known affiliates. It was like they'd never existed in the spy world.

Today, the four agents are one of _The Swan's_ most excellent covert teams in the field, taking on many missions and succeeding in almost all of them. The most skilled of them all is of course Agent Casey MacDonald, whom was the main target for their recruitment from the beginning and for whom they have even larger plans for, soon to unravel.

**Chapter **

**1**

Shimozukito Hotel

Tokyo, Japan

9:06 PM

The colorful city lights glistened against the pale moonbeam in the night sky as Agent Casey McDonald entered the highly decorated lobby of the expensive Japanese hotel. She was dressed in a dazzling silver cocktail dress with just enough cleavage to make an impression and wore a shoulder length black wig upon her head as a disguise; plenty of fancy makeup adorned her face to outline her beauty and catch the eyes of her target.

"Damn that dress is sexy on you." The voice of her boyfriend and teammate, Derek Venturi, growled huskily into the earpiece attached on the inside of her ear.

"Calm your hormones, Venturi; we have work to do." The voice of her long time partner and close friend, Benjamin Blake, chastised the former hockey player turned spy.

"I told you to call me by my codename!" Derek groaned with irritation.

"We don't need codenames anymore. This channel is under strict protection by _The Swan_ agency. It's impossible to break the code unless you're a computer yourself."

"Where's the fun in that?"

"Besides, your codename is lame."

"At least Eagle Cry is better than Honey Pot."

"Derek," Karma Hesston, their fourth teammate and Ben's girlfriend piped in, "we already discussed this; you can't come up with your own codename."

"Is there a rule book for codenames or something?"

"Excuse me," Casey's hushed voice interrupted their silly banter as she turned away from prying eyes so that it didn't look like she was talking to herself. "We have a mission here in case you've all forgotten. Our target should be walking through those doors at any moment. We only have one chance at this, so focus."

"Sorry." They all chimed in unison.

"Speaking of the devil, Hitomi Kimiru just entered the lobby." Ben spoke quickly from where he monitored the building's cameras from a van parked across the street from the hotel.

"It's time to work your charm, Agent McDonald."

"Copy that."

Casey slowly turned around in the direction of their target: a middle-aged Japanese man, owner of a large hotel chain, including the one they were currently in. Underneath that façade, Mr. Kimiru was a highly trained assassin recently hired by _The Collective_, an international company of assassins that _The Swan_ has been trying to take down for years.

Four brute men dressed in black suits surrounded the man, obviously playing the part of his bodyguards, not that he needed them with his experience. She made sure to meet Kimiru's eye, knowing from research on his classified files that he went after anything in a fancy skirt, as she grinned seductively and proceeded to pull out a handheld mirror from her bag and a tube of lipstick.

"He's noticed you. Good work, Bluebird." Ben complimented in her ear.

"Hey, I thought we weren't using codenames!" Derek accused.

"Old habits die hard. Just keep your eye on Kimiru."

Casey watched out of her peripheral vision, while she smoothed the red lipstick across her lips, as Hitomi undressed her with his eyes and began to approach.

"I don't like the way he's looking at you." Derek grumbled.

"Well you're gonna have to get over it, Venturi, because we need him to look at her that way in order to get what we want." Ben spoke with a gruff tone.

"Konbanwa." Hitomi dipped his head in greeting as he spoke in Japanese to Casey and extended his hand to her. He was attractive and he knew it. His dark hair was slicked back with a few strands of grey to signify his age and wisdom. His brown orbs grinned mischievously, enticing her to make his acquaintance, and he even had a scar across his chiseled tanned chin, the only telltale sign of his true identity.

The secret agent obliged and placed her petite hand in his as he bent to kiss it.

"Anata wa marena utsukushi-sadesu." He said, which meant _you are a rare beauty_.

Derek scoffed in Casey's ear at the man's comment. He'd studied the Japanese Language extensively in his training and was proud that he could understand most of their speech. His only downfall was speaking it. It still came out rather rough and some words would get mistaken easily for others. Casey on the other hand could speak perfect Japanese, among a vast amount of other languages she'd studied over the years, and replied to Hitomi with a smile, "Arigatō."

"Do you speak English?" Hitomi asked while still holding Casey's hand in his.

"Yes, I do."

"Excellent!" The man beamed. "How about you join me for a drink in the lounge while I wait for my guests?"

"I would love to." Casey smiled as he let go of her hand and placed his at the small of her back while leading her through the busy lobby towards the lounge on their right.

"What shall I call such a lovely lady as yourself?" Hitomi asked. He led her to a secluded section of the bar and gestured towards a booth for her to sit.

"My name is Rosa-May Louise."

"Well Miss. Louise, what can I get you to drink?"

"Casey, you need to get the sample now. His guests have just arrived and are getting out of their vehicles as we speak." Ben's voice ordered in her ear.

Casey leaned in towards Hitomi and stared deeply into his eyes; the man had no other choice but to return her gaze, which was all they needed for him to do. _The Swan_ had developed a new technology that can scan the retina of anyone it comes into contact with. Once the scan is complete, the person wearing the tech will soon have an exact replica of their victim's eyes, which is what Casey needed in order to access Kimiru's office. When she knew the scan was complete, she placed her hand on his thigh seductively and whispered in his ear, "I'll have whatever you suggest."

Hitomi sucked in a breath and was so taken aback by her hand on his thigh that he didn't even notice her other hand sneak into his back pocket to place a miniscule GPS tracker on his wallet.

Before the man could reply one of his bodyguards came up to him and whispered in his ear. Hitomi frowned as he turned back to Casey and placed a caressing hand on her cheek, "My apologies, Miss. Louise, but it seems that my guests have arrived sooner than I expected. If you will wait for me, I would love to continue this later tonight. As for now, go to the bar and order a drink on me. Just tell them Mr. Kimiru sent you."

"Don't be long." Casey cooed as she kissed his cheek and bid him a farewell.

"You got it?" Ben asked in her ear.

"Affirmative."

"Ok, Kar, you're up. Be discreet, ladies."

Casey walked up to the bar just as the group of eight older Japanese men entered the lounge and headed towards Kimiru's private section. For a brief moment she was hidden from the man's view and made her escape while Karma took her place dressed exactly like her, so that he wouldn't think she'd left if he knew something was up.

"His office is located on the thirteenth floor. The elevator is on its way now." Ben directed.

"You're controlling the elevator?" Derek asked in astonishment.

"I've hacked into the hotel's major server. I can access and control anything technology related, except the target's office. That has a whole other server all together, hence why we need his retinas."

"We get the point, Ben, you're a computer genius, now quit showing off and transport Casey to the office before Kimiru is finished his meeting and wants to continue what he started with his new "lady friend"." Karma snapped from where she sat on a bar stool pretending to drink the alcoholic beverage that the Japanese bartender recommended.

"Now, Case, make sure you're ready for when the doors open because there's two guys guarding the entrance. They're armed and won't hesitate to shoot once they realize you're not their boss.

"Got it." Casey replied from inside the small enclosure as it ascended the floors. She reached under her dress and pulled out her tranquilizer gun from its holster attached to her thigh and double-checked that it was loaded. The agency had created a new type of gun that fired tiny little pins, instead of full-on darts. They were less detectable and had a lot more power. One prick and the victim was immediately surrendered unconscious for ten hours straight.

A quick peek at her reflection in the glass wall confirmed her suspicions that the tech in her eyes worked. She now had the exact dark brown eyes of Mr. Kimiru.

"Be careful, babe." Derek whispered in apprehension.

"Don't worry, Derek, I've been in worse situations before."

"I know but something about this mission just isn't sitting well with me."

"It's only your sixth field assignment since finishing your training, Derek. You've still got the newbie jitters, that's all." Karma tried to assure him.

"I guess… but maybe I should assist Casey upstairs just in case."

"Stay where you are, Derek. We need you on ground level in case something goes wrong. Casey knows what she's doing."

"Yeah, but…"

"Keep your eyes on the target, Venturi, and no more arguments. We stick to the plan."

"I'll be fine, Derek." Casey reassured her boyfriend.

"Just… be careful." He sighed and grumbled under his breath.

"Doors are opening in five seconds, Casey." Ben warned and counted down. "5… 4… 3… 2…1."

The young secret agent readied herself as the doors dinged and slid open. The two men guarding Kimiru's office stared at each other with confusion when nobody stepped out of the machine.

"Sore o Chekkuauto." One of the guards ordered the other to check it out and motioned towards the seemingly empty elevator.

"Koshō to omowa." The other replied, indicating that it was probably a malfunction, as he moved towards it with his gun extended cautiously.

He peered inside the elevator with a grunt of amusement and turned back to say something when a tranquilizer suddenly shot into his neck and he fell unconscious.

"Tada nani ga okotta no ka?" The second guard shouted, wondering what just happened, and aimed his gun at the invisible force that had taken out his comrade.

"He's reaching for the radio, Case. Take him out now." Ben ordered.

Casey took no time jumping from the roof of the elevator where she'd climbed up to with a sticky paste similar to what Mason Marz used to create back at _R.E.D._ She took aim and fired but the guard was faster than she thought and sideswiped the tranquilizer before it could make contact with his shoulder. She went to fire another one but before she could pull the trigger, the tall Japanese guard swung up his leg and kicked the gun from her hands.

"This guy has some moves." Casey spoke aloud so that her team could hear. "Bring it on." She said this time in Japanese.

The man brought his own gun up to shoot at her but Casey was quick as she spun around, grabbed his extended wrist and twisted the gun from his grasp. She then proceeded to disarm the weapon, dropping the pieces to the carpeted floor.

"I don't use bullets." The secret agent grinned.

He growled and took a swing at her with his fist but Casey blocked it with her forearm and sent her own fist pummeling into his gut. She tried to make a grab for her tranq gun on the floor but he recovered quickly and shoved her into the wall.

"Casey!" Derek's concerned voice cried into her earpiece when he heard her grunt of pain as the man twisted her arm behind her back. "I'm going up there!" He snapped at Ben.

"Derek, stay put! If Casey needs back up, she'll say so. Give her a chance!"

"Anata wa watashi no monodesu." The Japanese guard whispered in her ear as he pushed harder on her arm making her cry out.

"Casey, quit being stubborn and say you need back-up!" Derek whispered harshly. Hearing her being inflicted with pain was like torture and he was pretty sure the guard just told her was going to kill her.

Casey had been in worse situations than this before and had been taught how to get out of such a position in her training but she needed to make sure that when her assailant was forced to let go she'd be able to make a grab for her gun.

She heard him pull out a knife from his coat and knew it was now or never as she slammed her head back against his nose cringing at the sound of it breaking. He cried out, loosening his grip on her, giving Casey the chance she needed to release her arm from his hold and dive for her gun.

Blood gushed to the floor from his nose while the guard tried to stop the flow with his hand and lunge at her with the knife in his other. He managed to slice through her leg just as Casey aimed and fired a dart into his chest. He immediately dropped to the ground, joining his unconscious partner.

"Case, are you alright?" Her boyfriend's urgent voice broke though her thoughts as she took a deep breath in and examined the gash on her left leg.

"Yeah, I'm fine, Derek. Both guards are down."

"I lost visual for a moment, Casey, but I'm glad to see that you're still in one piece." Said Ben. "Tie up that leg though before you bleed on the carpet. We don't need anyone tracing a sample back to the Agency."

"I'm already ahead of you." She replied, grabbing the guard's fallen knife and slicing a piece of cloth from his pants.

Once her cut was bound tightly, Casey stood up and approached the door. Attached to the wall beside it was a keypad that Casey had to enter a code into. She reached inside her purse and pulled out a small perfume bottle and sprayed a clear mist onto the screen. It decoded the computer and a green light signaled that the password was correct.

"Impressive." Casey smiled.

A slot opened up in the wall above the keypad and a retina scanner appeared. Casey blinked a couple times, praying that the tech wouldn't fail her, as a red light shone into her eyes. Suddenly the light turned green and the scanner returned inside the wall and Casey heard a _click_.

"It worked." She said as she opened the door and stepped inside Kimiru's office.

"Excellent. Get the file and get out."

The room was dark at first glance as Casey ran her hand along the wall to feel for a switch. She found it and flicked it on not expecting the sight that greeted her.

"Uhh… There's been a bit of a development…" She spoke warily.

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm not alone in here. I seemed to have stumbled upon Kimiru's latest victim." Casey replied while staring at a young Japanese man tied to a chair with a gag in his mouth and wide, frightened eyes returning her gaze. He had blood dripping down his head from an unseen wound and purple bruises forming on his cheeks and right eye.

"Are you serious?"

"Would I joke about something like this?"

"Casey, you need to hurry," Karma's voice spoke urgently into their ear. "It looks like Kimiru's meeting is finishing up and he's getting ready to leave."

"What am I supposed to do about the guy tied to a chair? I can't just leave him!"

"Retrieve what we came for first, Casey, and worry about the victim after." Ben commanded.

"I'll try to stall Kimiru as long as I can." Karma said.

The young secret agent hastily began searching through the desk at the far end of the room while the man tied to the chair began groaning and yelling at her through the gag.

"Just hold on." Casey instructed him. "I'll get you out of this but I need you to remain calm and keep quiet."

She opened the laptop on top of his desk and grinned at the fact that he'd forgotten to log out before leaving it.

"I'm in his laptop. What's the name of the file we need again?"

"The code is _74235C6_." Ben read to her from his photographic mind.

Casey typed in the code but the server said it could not be found. She cursed and slammed her fist on the desk at her turn of luck.

"Are you sure that was it?" She ground out through clenched teeth as she tried typing it in again.

"Are you doubting my memory now?"

"I'm doubting my luck that it's in his computer."

"Are there any USB drives anywhere? Maybe he hasn't programmed it in yet."

"There's nothing, Ben. This office is basically empty, except for the Japanese guy tied to a chair!" She snapped in frustration while the latter continued to yell at her through his gag.

"Casey, you need to get out of there now!" Karma's voice spoke urgently through the earpiece. "I tried to stall him but Kimiru knows something is up. He's better with faces than we thought he'd be and saw through my disguise. I was able to escape but he's on his way up there now!"

"I couldn't stop him either, Case!" Derek's voice chimed in. He sounded out of breath. "He's got too many men with him. I was able to take one down but two more are in pursuit of me! We need to get out of here!"

"I haven't found what we came for!"

"It's too late, Casey. Abort the mission." Ben ordered.

"What about him?" Casey asked, indicating the poor guy still tied up. "I can't just leave him here to die."

"I'm sorry, Casey, but this wasn't a rescue mission. There's no way you'll both slip past Kimiru undetected. I'm jamming the elevator from getting up there but it won't last for long. He's already trying to override it as we speak. Just get yourself out of there now!"

"Casey, listen to Ben!" Derek's voice added in. "Kimiru won't hesitate to put a bullet through your head. Besides, we don't even know who that guy is tied up in there! He could work for the psycho for all we know. You need to worry about yourself!"

Casey stared back at the kid's pleading eyes as he began shaking in the chair, begging her to release him and despite what her teammates were telling her, she knew she could never live it down if she left this room without him.

She heard Ben curse in her ear and cringed at his words, "He got it working, Casey. What are you still doing in there? Get the hell out now!"

The young agent moved hastily across the room and began untying the man from the chair. Once his hands were free, he removed the gag from his mouth and spit to the side.

"I thought you were going to leave me." He spoke clear English while standing from the chair.

"What's your name?" Casey asked. "Do you know another way out of here?"

"I'm Taiki. They blindfolded me when they brought me here. I don't even know where I am."

Casey ignored the voices of her teammates yelling in her ear and knew she needed to think fast or they were both dead. She glanced at the window hidden behind maroon shades and pulled them back to reveal the night sky and city lights. A smile lit up her face when she dropped her eyes below the outside window and saw their only escape.

"Can you swim?" She asked Taiki as she tried prying open the window.

"Can I what?" The man looked at her with wide eyes and then looked out the window. When he realized what she was thinking his eyes almost burst from their sockets and he began shaking his head back and forth profusely. "Are you insane?"

"You got any other ideas?"

"We're thirteen stories up!"

"Casey, he's there and he's got a gun! Where are you?" Ben hollered hysterically.

"This is our only chance." She said to Taiki. Giving up on trying to get the window open, Casey ran to the discarded chair on the floor, picked it up and then with all her strength she smashed it against the window. Glass flew out everywhere, notifying the people below as they peered up at the scene unfolding before them.

Suddenly a booming gunshot was fired from the hallway and the door slammed open to reveal a fuming Hitomi Kimiru. He locked eyes with the secret agent and aimed his gun at her just as she grabbed a hold of Taiki and the two jumped out the shattered window. A shot was fired and Taiki cried out as they landed in the hotel swimming pool below.

Casey held her breath as she was swallowed up by chlorinated water and felt her feet touch the bottom of the pool. She immediately got her bearings and swam to the top, breathing in a lungful of air and searching the water for the man she'd rescued.

"Help!" Taiki's voice reached her ears and she spotted him bobbing up and down at the pool's edge, holding his arm with blood gushing out of a fresh bullet wound. "He shot me!"

Guests of the hotel began screaming and running away from the pool when they realized what was going on.

Casey swam towards Taiki and helped him out of the water and then inspected his arm. The bullet had gone straight through thank goodness but he was slowly losing a lot of blood.

"We need to get out of here, Taiki. Do you have enough strength to run?"

"I can try." The man gasped out through pain.

Casey helped him to this feet and swung his other arm around her shoulder as they began to make their way out of the pool area and around the back of the hotel, knowing they weren't in the clear yet.

"Ben, can you hear me? Ben?" Casey shouted, trying to get the attention of her partner in her earpiece. All she could hear was static and knew the water must've damaged it.

"Who do you work for?" Taiki asked with a grimace from the pain as they hurried through the trees. "What were you doing there?"

"I'll explain later. Right now, we need to find a way out of here. The water damaged my earpiece, so we're on our own until I can find my partners."

"How many more of you are there?"

"I have a team of four."

"I already know you weren't there to rescue me, so what were you searching for?"

"It's classified."

"Well what if I told you that I know where it is?"

"Know where what is?"

"What you were searching for."

"You don't know what I was searching for."

"Actually, I do."

Casey stopped to look at him as Taiki coughed and grabbed at his bloody shoulder.

"What are you talking about, Taiki?"

"Promise me that you will get me somewhere safe and I'll explain." He said through ragged breaths and Casey knew she was running out of time as she stared at his weary form.

"How do I know you're telling the truth?"

"You don't."

"Then how am I supposed to trust you?"

"Think about it. Why would a known assassin have me tied to a chair and tortured for two days if I didn't have something he wanted?"

"You're telling me that Kimiru doesn't have what we're looking for?"

"Not anymore." He shook his head and smirked up at her despite his fatigued state.

Before Casey could question what that statement truly meant and the thoughts racing through her mind, a gunshot sounded behind them and a bullet flew right past her ear, nicking it and eliciting a cry of pain from the secret agent as she grabbed a hold of Taiki, even more determined, after their conversation, to keep him safe at all costs, and started running.

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**A fun little fact: The name of the Japanese hotel is actually my real name in Japanese, at least according to the internet. Haha. **

**I hope you like the story so far. Please leave a Review because I really enjoy knowing what you think. It also motivates me to write more. **

**Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for the Reviews! I'm glad you're enjoying the sequel so far!**

**I couldn't wait to post more, so here you go!**

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**Chapter**

**2**

Shimozukito Hotel

Tokyo, Japan

9:52 PM

Derek knew something was wrong with this mission. His gut instinct was almost never wrong. It wasn't just the fact that he was still a newbie when it came to field missions, or that his concern for Casey's well being was over-exaggerated, he knew something more was at stake with this mission and now his whole team was split up and Casey's communication had cut out.

"Derek, can you hear me?" Ben's voice sounded in his ear.

"Yeah." The former hockey player replied while ducking behind a parked car and peeking around the hood for the brute Japanese men in pursuit of him.

"I've lost Casey's connection. She's not answering and there was a commotion at the back of the hotel. Guests are hysteric, running around and screaming about gunshots being fired. Where are you?"

"At the moment, I'm hiding behind a green Toyota in the parking lot. Two of Kimiru's men are after me. I lost my gun while fighting them."

"How did you manage that?"

"I shot one of them before another knocked it out of my hand. Then they proceeded to pull out their _real _guns and I did the only thing I could, I ran."

"Ben, I'm headed towards the pool area where everyone seems to be running from." Karma's voice interrupted the conversation.

"Please tell me that _you_ at least still have your weapon." Ben replied.

"Affirmative. It seems Casey managed to escape Kimiru's office by jumping out the window and landing in the pool."

"Is she insane?" Derek exclaimed. "She was thirteen stories up!"

"I'm also seeing blood along the edge of the pool. I think she was shot."

"Unless it was that guy she decided to risk her neck for."

"I can't be positive."

"Do you see anyone else in the area?"

"No. The pool has been completely deserted. Knowing Casey, she's probably on her way to you now."

"Yeah, well with this panic, the police are going to be here any minute, we need to get out of here now."

"Have you picked her up on any of the video feeds?"

"Negative. There's too much chaos. I can't get a clear view."

While listening to his teammates, Derek peered around the hood of the car once more and let out a breath of relief when he saw the giant forms of his pursuers turning back and heading a different way.

"Kimiru's men are falling back. I think they've been called somewhere else and I'm betting it has to do with Casey. I'm following them." He said as he stood up and cautiously began making his way around the parked cars to see where the men went.

"No, Derek. You're defenseless without your gun. Head back to the van."

"My girlfriend could be hurt. I'm not leaving her."

"I didn't say to leave her! What are you going to do if you find her? You have no way of protecting yourself, let alone Casey!"

"I need to know that she's okay and following these men is my only assurance."

"Derek, at least tell me where you are, so that I can back you up." Karma insisted.

Derek heard Ben let out a groan of impatience and he knew he'd be in trouble once they made it back to _The Swan _headquarters for disobeying orders, but there was no way he was letting what happened in Germany two years ago become a reoccurrence. Casey was his and nobody was taking her away, never again.

"I'm headed around the right backside of the hotel."

"I'm on my way, Derek; just hang in there and stay in the shadows."

"I think I just heard gunshots!" His heartbeat quickened at the deafening sound coming from around the building and he knew he couldn't wait for Karma to back him up. Casey was near and she needed help.

"Derek, don't do anything stupid! I'm on my way with the van now to pick you guys up." Ben hollered into his ear but Derek wasn't listening. He was only thinking about one thing. Casey.

(=)

9:59 PM

_Bang! _Casey ducked as another bullet flew past her head and her grip on the young Japanese man tightened while they continued running for their lives.

"I don't know how much more I can take." Taiki rasped out. "I'm losing too much blood. It's taking all my strength."

"Just a little further, Taiki. Hang in there." Casey breathed out.

The young man suddenly became limp in her arms and dropped to the ground, taking the young agent with him. He'd passed out.

"Taiki!" Casey shouted as she shook his form while kneeling over him. "Taiki, come on! We have to run!"

It was no use. He was out cold and there was no way she could carry him and dodge bullets at the same time. She was strong but definitely no Wonder Woman.

"Idō shinaide kudasai!" One of the four men in pursuit of them shouted in Japanese, telling her not to move as they aimed their 9mm's from ten feet away.

Suddenly there was a commotion from behind the men as a figure ran out into the open and drop kicked one of the men. He fell to the ground and his attacker picked up his discarded gun.

"Doroppu shimasu… uh… um…" The figure was stumbling for words in the Japanese language and Casey knew immediately who it was. "Weapons!" The voice of Derek finally yelled, obviously giving up on trying to speak Japanese. "Drop your weapons or I'll shoot!"

The men weren't backing down and Casey saw that one was getting ready to fire a shot at her boyfriend. She immediately pulled out her own gun and before he could pull the trigger, she'd shot a tranquilizer dart into his back and he went down with a _thud_!

Derek made his move then and lunged towards the other two. One fired off a round but he managed to dodge the bullet and smash his fist into the man's face, then twist the gun free from his hand and crash the butt of it against his temple.

The other man turned on Casey and went to shoot her but he unexpectedly dropped to the ground with a dart in his neck. Karma appeared from the shadows, dressed just like her, with a grin on her face.

"I guess I arrived just in time." The petite blonde said as she and Derek made their way towards her.

Derek pulled his girlfriend into his arms and held her close as he kissed her neck, "Are you hurt?" He asked while inspecting her body for any damage.

"I'm fine; however _he _is not." Casey replied while returning the embrace and then stepping back to gesture towards the passed out Japanese man she'd rescued from the hotel. "We need to get him some medical assistance now."

"Who is he?" Karma asked as she knelt down to inspect his injuries.

"His name is Taiki and apparently he has what we're looking for."

"How is that possible?"

"I don't know but it's obvious he's telling the truth, or else Kimiru wouldn't have put up such a fight to get him back."

"Speaking of Kimiru," Karma spoke warily. "Where is he?"

"Good question. We better get out of here before we find out." Derek said as he lifted the unconscious Taiki over his shoulders and started walking.

"Ben's waiting for us around the corner." Said Karma. "We don't have much time before the police arrive, so we need to hurry."

Casey felt a breeze lift up her hair and noticed a black helicopter fleeing the scene above; she had no doubts that Hitomi Kimiru was its passenger and that it wouldn't be the last they'd see of him.

(=)

Two Days Later

The Swan Headquarters

Washington, D.C.

8:24 AM

"You are suspended from any further field missions, Agent Venturi."

Casey heard the words come out of Olivia Inez's mouth but wasn't sure she'd heard correctly as the fiery, middle-aged redhead, who was their boss stood at the head of the mission table with her hands on her hips.

"Excuse me, Ma'am?" The young agent decided to speak up on behalf of her boyfriend who remained in his seat with a solemn expression.

"You heard me correctly. Agent Venturi disobeyed direct orders on more than one occasion in the last mission to Japan."

"If he hadn't come to my rescue, I'd be dead and whatever Taiki has would be back in Kimiru's hands."

"It's not just about him going after you without back-up, Agent MacDonald. Agent Venturi needs to learn to keep his emotions in check when on a mission. He also lost one of our new tranquilizer guns and those are not cheap."

"I understand, Ma'am, but he is still getting used to all of this. We all let our emotions get in the way sometimes. How do you expect him to learn anything if you suspend him?"

"His suspension will result in further training. Agent Venturi is obviously not ready for the field yet and I don't want to hear any more arguments about it. Is that clear?" She glared Casey's way and the young woman knew better not to test her commander any further.

"Yes."

"What about you, Agent Venturi; do you have anything to add?"

Derek looked up at his boss, doing his best to hold in the frustration he was feeling in that moment and replied through gritted teeth, "No, Ma'am."

"Splendid. You can report to the training level immediately."

"I can't even hear what you have to say about the rest of the mission?"

"It doesn't concern you anymore."

Casey could tell he was furious as Derek stood from his chair, sent a menacing glare Benjamin's way and stormed out of the room.

"Was that really necessary? You could've at least spoken to him in private about this. Not embarrass him in front of his friends and colleagues." Karma spoke up from where she sat across from Casey at the large glass table they were situated around. She noticed Ben place his hand in hers and whisper in her ear but it did nothing to calm the young blonde down.

"We are not here to make mistakes. That kind of thing may have been written off as a warning at _R.E.D._ but not here. _We _don't have time to baby rookies like Agent Venturi." Olivia spoke harshly and stared directly at Casey. "I am being honest when I say that the only reason we even allowed him into the program was because of you, Agent MacDonald."

"Why me?"

"You and I both know that you wouldn't have joined us unless he came too."

"Why were you so desperate to have me then?"

"Because we need you, Casey."

"So what does this mean? Were we just bargaining chips to get Casey aboard your team too?" Ben said, suddenly fuming as he gestured to him and his girlfriend.

"No. Your brain is remarkable, Agent Blake. We have definitely benefited having you around, and I also see great potential in Agent Hesston as well. The three of you make a remarkable team."

Casey had heard enough of this and stood to her feet, "But you don't see any potential in Derek?" She snapped angrily.

"I didn't say that, Agent MacDonald. Please take your seat."

"You said that the _three _of us make a remarkable team, but there's _four _of us. Derek may still have a lot to learn but he's not useless either!"

"I agree, which is why he needs more training. Agent Venturi was just starting out with _R.E.D._ when I made my proposal, which means he'd only had about eight months of training. The three of you trained for two years before going on field assignments, isn't that correct?"

"Yes, and technically so did Derek. We had to undergo further training when we started here. That was two years ago."

"When we're speaking_ technically_, it was _four _years of training for the three of you and still only two for Agent Venturi. Not to mention your years of experience in the field. I never said that your boyfriend lacks potential. I've seen his work and it is impressive, but unlike the three of you, Agent Venturi lacks proficiency and discipline." Olivia's eyes softened a fraction as she looked at Casey. "His devotion to you is understandable, Agent MacDonald, but it can also lead to trouble if he doesn't learn to control it wisely."

Casey nodded her head because she knew what Olivia said was true. In all honesty, Derek still couldn't accept the fact that she's not some helpless teenage girl anymore with her face stuffed in her books. In his mind, _he_ needed to be the man, the protector, not her.

"If Derek wants to make it in the spy world, he still has a lot to learn." Olivia said as she tore her eyes from the young agent and turned her attention to the holographic image that suddenly appeared on the table of Taiki asleep in a hospital bed. "If either of you would choose to discuss Agent Venturi's suspension further, you can see me in my office afterwards. Right now, we have a mission to continue with."

Casey glanced at her teammates and the three of them nodded, choosing to shove their concerns about Derek to the backs of their minds for the time being. Olivia was right.

"Good. The gentleman you see here is Mr. Taiki Kaito. He is twenty-one years of age and has one of the smartest young brains of our time."

"That kid?" Ben asked with a raised brow.

"Even smarter than you, Agent Blake. His parents mysteriously disappeared when he was three years of age, which led to him being raised in an orphanage in a small village in Japan. A university major who stumbled upon him while visiting the orphanage during a mission's trip when Taiki was thirteen soon discovered his talents. The man ended up adopting him and taking him home to live in the United States where Taiki continued to consume every subject known to man. In fact, _The Swan _had even offered him a job when he was eighteen, but he turned it down. About a year ago, Taiki's adoptive father was found dead, murdered, but the police were never able to find his killer, and Taiki just up and disappeared after that. No one has seen him until now."

"That's beyond messed up." Ben commented as they all stared at the young man sleeping in the hospital bed with a bandaged up face and arm.

"Yes, well to make matters worse, Taiki seems to have the exact information we were searching for. However, it's not just any file we can download into a USB drive…"

"It's in his head." Ben finished her sentence in astonishment.

"And you wanted me to leave him behind." Casey raised an accusing brow at her partner across the table.

"Well thank goodness you never listen to me anyway." He smirked back at her.

"So how do you plan to extract the information from him?" Karma asked with concern.

"We gain his trust, which Agent MacDonald has already begun to do."

"You really think it'll be that easy?" Casey asked with skepticism. "The kid's a genius. He's not just going to hand the information over to me."

"It's a start. We don't want to use any unnecessary force if we don't have to. The poor boy's been through enough as it is. All you have to do is talk to him, Agent MacDonald. You have a way of connecting with people and gaining their trust."

"How do you know he'll even want to see me?"

"He's already been asking for you."

(=)

The Swan Headquarters

Medical Wing

10:02 AM

Casey took in a deep breath as she entered the room that Taiki had been placed in, making sure to knock lightly on the door in case he was awake and indecent.

"Taiki?" She called when there was no answer. "Taiki, are you decent?"

The young agent let out a sigh and decided to just walk in the room. The kid was probably still asleep. He'd had a rough couple of days.

"No… No… Stop it!" Taiki suddenly cried out from where he struggled in his sleep on the hospital bed. He was having a bad dream.

"Taiki?" Casey cautiously approached him as he continued to wrestle against an imaginary assailant. "Taiki, wake up." She grabbed his wrists to stop him from moving and tried shaking him awake.

"They're coming!" He screamed unexpectedly and shot up from the bed, knocking the secret agent to the floor.

"Ow…" Casey winced as she rubbed the back of her head where it'd smacked against the table on the way down.

"Agent MacDonald?" Taiki's shaken form peered down at her with a worried expression. "I… I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to…"

"It's alright. I'm fine. A little bump on the head is nothing compared to the injuries I've sustained in the past." Casey said as she slowly stood to her feet and gave him a reassuring smile.

"When did you get here?"

"Not too long ago. I tried waking you… it seemed like you were having a bad dream."

"More like a memory." He breathed out as he sat back against the pillows.

Casey understood what he meant as she grabbed a chair from the corner and placed it next to his bed for her to sit.

"Do you want to talk about it?" She asked once seated.

"Not really." He shook his head and averted her gaze.

"I understand. I've been in kidnapping situations myself in the past. The worst part was definitely the memories that haunted me in my sleep."

"What did you do to stop them?" He asked with interest.

"I talked to my boyfriend about them, and my job also insisted that I see a therapist for a few months."

"Did the memories go away?"

"The memories will never officially leave, but after a while they didn't bother me as much as they used to. I realized that it was the past. The people that had hurt me were no longer a threat and that I was surrounded by loved ones that cared for me."

"Well the difference between you and I is that _I'm _not safe. The people out to get me _are _still a threat and I have no loved ones to stand by my side."

"You don't need to worry about Himito Kimiru. We have a tracker on him and know his every move. He's not getting anywhere near you, Taiki. You're safe here."

"Kimiru is no one." The young man scoffed. "He was just hired by the people who want me."

"And who is that?"

"They call themselves _The Collective_. They've been after my mind for years now but I've always managed to dissuade them."

"Well we've been after _them_ for years. What exactly is it that they want from you?"

"I'm sure you've already been debriefed on my back story…?" He asked as he sat up and took a sip of the water next to his bed.

"Yes." Casey nodded.

"I don't have just any ordinary mind. I think something happened to me when I was a baby. I think it's why my parents disappeared and why my adopted father was killed. Whatever it is, they want it, and will do whatever it takes to have it."

"I won't let anything happen to you, Taiki. I promise."

The young man glanced around the room warily and then turned back to look at her.

"I know why you're here right now. They want that file that's in my head."

"I'm not just here because of that. I wanted to make sure you were okay."

"I don't trust a lot of people… I've let my emotions betray me too much in the past, but for some reason you're different, Agent MacDonald."

"Call me Casey." She smiled warmly.

"Alright, Casey. I'll give your boss the file, but I need a favor first."

"What is it?"

He looked up at the ceiling across the room. "I know there's a miniscule camera up there and that your boss is watching right now." He said and spoke directly to it. "I'll give you the file; if you promise to have your people inspect my brain. I know something is wrong with it. I can feel it."

"That sounds fair enough."

"One more thing." He said as he turned back to her.

"Yes?"

"I want you to find the people responsible for ruining my life and take them down."

* * *

**Please tell me your thoughts! **

**What do you think of Derek's suspension? Was it fair or not? **

**Do you like Taiki? **

**Any theories?**

**I love Reviews, so please leave them! **

**Have a Great day!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks for the Reviews! **

**This chapter is a bit shorter but I hope you still like it anyway. **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter **

**3**

The Swan Headquarters

Washington, D.C.

4:58 PM

After an exhausting training session in _The Swan_ mission field simulator, Derek showered and was ready to go home and take out his aggression on a delicious homemade sandwich, hold the tomatoes.

He'd just left the shower room wearing a fresh change of clothes and damp reddish-brown hair sticking to his face when he bumped into something hard.

"Sorry, Derek. I didn't see you there." Benjamin Blake apologized, placing a hand on his shoulder to steady him.

"You going to tell on me for that too?" Derek growled sarcastically and pulled away from his grasp.

Ben let out a sigh and looked the former hockey player in the eyes, "Look, man, I had nothing to do with you getting suspended. Yeah, I was pissed at your behavior the other night but I didn't go to Inez about it."

"Then how would she know everything that happened on the mission?"

"Our whole mission gets recorded and sent back to headquarters, Derek. We learnt this in our first week of training."

"That was two years ago."

"They also remind us before _every_ mission." Ben replied with a very unimpressed facial expression. He crossed his arms against his broad chest and shook his head with a sigh. "You know what, Derek; I think Inez was right putting you back into training. You're obviously not cut out for the field yet."

"Oh, of course you take her side!"

"I don't doubt you have the skills to make it as a spy but you lack conviction, Venturi. You need to get your head out of the clouds and really start focusing."

"That's easy for you to say. You've been a spy for years. Your mind was built for this kind of job. Everyone loves Agent Benjamin Blake!" Derek scoffed loudly, not caring who overheard their conversation.

"Would you just take it easy? What's gotten into you? You and I have become good friends over the past couple of years. Hell, we're even roommates, Venturi! You've never spoken like this before."

Derek shook his head with a wave of his hand and turned to leave, "Just forget it. I'm hungry and I'm exhausted. See you whenever."

"Derek, talk to me, man."

"You better get back to work, or they'll miss you."

Ben chose not to go after him and let whatever was eating at him go for the moment. They would be discussing it later though, even if he had to beat it out of him, and he would; Derek was still no fighter when it came to him. For now, he'd let him go home, get some food into his stomach and sleep. The guy needed it.

"Ben?" A familiar and sweet voice that the handsome secret agent knew all too well called out from down the hall.

"Hey." Benjamin replied as he turned to the voice and saw his girlfriend, the woman he'd fallen madly in love with over the past couple of years, approach him with a concerned look upon her beautiful face.

"I just ran into Derek and he completely shoved me off, without so much as a glance. He's really taking this suspension hard, isn't he?" Karma said with a shake of her head, her golden blonde hair falling across her face and shadowing her light blue eyes.

"I think it's more than that."

"What do you think it could be?"

"I don't know. Has Casey said anything?"

"Not that I can recall. Her mind has been so wrapped up in this case, and it's about to get worse."

"What do you mean?"

She tucked some of her hair back behind her ear as she spoke, "She talked with Taiki and apparently _The Collective _want something from him. It has to do with his brain."

"The kid from Japan is a link to _The Collective_? How is that possible? Can we even trust him?"

"Casey seems to think so. He wants the agencyto undergo some tests on his head to see if they can figure out what happened to him when he was a kid. He thinks it has something to do with them."

"Where is Casey now?"

"Taiki demanded that the tests be done at once and asked Casey to stay with him."

"They've already begun?"

"Yes, that's why I came to find you. Olivia insisted we be there as well."

"What does she think we'll find?'

"I'm not sure, but she isn't taking this lightly, especially since it involves _The Collective_."

"Let's head over to the medical lab now." He said and grabbed her hand. "I have a feeling there's more to this about to unfold."

(=)

Medical Wing

5:33 PM

Casey watched with rapid interest from behind a large rectangular window, which was actually a two-way mirror from the other side, as _The Swan_'s best doctor, a handsome Irish man in his late thirties, continued to scan Taiki's brain for any signs of something unusual or misplaced. The twenty-one year old Japanese man sat down on what resembled a dentist's chair while a blue light shone down from a machine in the ceiling and circled his head. A hologram image appeared in front of the doctor showing the inside of Taiki's brain, even naming each individual part of it.

"That's some impressive tech." Ben spoke from beside her. "Has the Agency thought of introducing it to hospitals and other agencies?" He turned and asked Olivia Inez, who was also watching the examination intently.

"No one even knows we exist, Agent Blake. What our scientists and inventors create stays here for our use only."

"But don't you think that kind of thing could benefit the whole world?"

"Don't _we _benefit the whole world?"

"Well yeah, but…"

"Ms. Inez, I have discovered something," Dr. Shepherd interrupted from inside the examination room through the speaker on the wall. Casey had to admit that hearing his accent always caused a pleasant tingle to run down her spine. There was just something about a man with an accent that drove any woman wild.

_Too bad Derek doesn't have an accent. _She thought to herself with a slight smirk. _He's lucky I love him anyway._

Olivia pressed a button to reply, "What is it?"

"Come and take a look."

"Is everything alright? What did you find? I knew there was something wrong with me!" Taiki spoke hurriedly with a fearful look on his face.

"Agent McDonald, you better come with me." Olivia told Casey, snapping her out of her thoughts, as she opened the door to enter the room. "I need you to keep him calm while the doctor explains what he found."

Casey nodded and followed her boss into the examination room, closing the door behind her where Benjamin and Karma would continue to listen through the speaker box and watch through the window.

"Casey," Taiki perked up immediately when he saw her. "I knew something was wrong, I just knew it."

She took the young man's hand in hers and squeezed it reassuringly to calm his nerves, "Don't worry, Taiki. Just let Dr. Shepherd explain. We'll figure this out."

He nodded anxiously and gripped her hand tightly in apprehension.

Dr. Shepherd focused the blue image of Taiki's brain on a tiny red speck in the centre. He zoomed in with his hands and pulled it out. The computer couldn't identify what exactly it was as orange letters were displayed across the screen reading: **Unknown Integrated Circuit**.

"What does that mean?" Casey asked.

"It means there's a chip in my head." Taiki answered with wide eyes before the doctor could open his mouth.

"A chip? How did a chip get inside your head?"

Dr. Shepherd replied, "According to the scan, I found a scar on the back of Mr. Kaito's head. If I am correct, the chip had been injected into his brain at a very young age."

"Can it be removed?" Olivia asked.

"I am afraid not," the doctor shook his head sympathetically. "It seems to be a part of his brain now. If we removed it, Mr. Kaito would surely die."

"But what does it do?" Casey questioned.

"We would have to do some extensive tests in order to even know what it is, let alone what it can do."

"Do you think they did this to me_; The Collective_?" Taiki asked with a grimace as he gripped Casey's hand so tightly that she winced in pain.

"I don't know, but I can assure you, Mr. Kaito, that we intend to find out." Olivia said. "For now, we will have you staying here in our living quarters while I assemble a team of highly qualified people to gain knowledge of what that chip inside your head is capable of."

"So I'm a prisoner here?"

"No, you are a guest that will be taken good care of."

"You will be safe here, Taiki." Casey assured him with a smile.

"I don't even know where _here _is."

"And it's best that you don't." Olivia replied. "We have examined your brain, just as you asked, Mr. Kaito; I hope you will stick to our agreement about the file."

"I can give it to you right now if you have a computer handy."

Ben entered the room with a laptop in his hands and handed it to Taiki, "Here you go."

"Thanks."

They all watched in fascination as Taiki began typing rapidly on the keyboard, recording data, dates, times, and places all from his memory. Even Ben was astonished.

"There are some pictures too. I can draw them if you'd like." The young Japanese man said when he finished typing.

Dr. Shepherd handed him a notebook and a pen from the counter and again they all watched with eyes wide and jaws ajar as he began sketching out very detailed pictures of people and buildings, including written facts and equations underneath them.

"Even I can't do that." Ben admitted with a shake of his head.

"That's all of it. File _74235C6_, or at least all that I have."

"How did you get this information in the first place?" Casey asked.

"I don't know." He shrugged. "It was just in there. When I saw you typing it out on Kimiru's laptop in search of it, it suddenly just appeared in my head. I can't explain it. It's just always been like that for me. I'll see a name of a place or the title of a book and know everything about it in minutes. It's like it gets downloaded to my brain."

"No wonder _The Collective _wants you. You may very well be just what we need to take them down once and for all."

"Thank you for your cooperation, Mr. Kaito." Olivia said as she shook the young man's hand. "With this information, we will be able to find the people responsible for your past."

"I hope so."

"For now, you should get some rest." The redhead turned to address Ben who was still staring at Taiki's drawings in wonder. "Agent Blake, will you please see to it that Mr. Kaito makes it to his new living arrangements with no problems?"

"Of course." Ben nodded.

"And Agent McDonald, I'd like a private word with you in my office as soon as you are ready." Olivia said to Casey before collecting the laptop and drawings and disappearing through the exit.

The young agent's stomach dropped at those words. Somehow, she knew everything was about to change.

(=)

Women's Living Quarters

9:42 PM

Derek paced back and forth in front of Casey and Karma's dorm room door impatiently. He'd been waiting for his girlfriend to return home for hours now and she still hadn't.

When the team joined _The Swan, _one of the many regulations they were to follow was that they stay in the living quarters assigned to them. All agents were required to live there while working for the covert agency. It kept them close in case there was an emergency mission and made it easier for them to train. The men and women's dorms were separate, unless you were married, so Casey and Karma shared a place and Derek and Ben shared another, despite Derek's protests about wanting his own space.

The dorms resembled a two-bedroom apartment, complete with furniture and appliances, so it wasn't too horrible living at the headquarters, however Derek needed to get away sometimes and inhale some much-needed fresh air. Living underground in close quarters wasn't exactly paradise either.

They were of course allowed to spend holidays such as Christmas with their loved ones, but even that special time was short-lived due to the urgency of their job. Derek had to admit that he missed his family. Seeing them for a few days out of the year was definitely not enough. His younger siblings were growing up and his father was even starting to bald. He was missing it all. Yes, the world needed them, but so did the Venturi-McDonalds.

_How does Casey do it? _He wondered with a frown. _She's been living this kind of life for six years now and never complains. I've only been a spy for two and am already falling apart._

"Derek?"

The distraught man spun around at the sound of his name and saw the woman of his thoughts approaching down the narrow hall towards him. She looked exhausted and he could tell something was bothering her by the crease in her forehead and the way she bit her bottom lip nervously.

"Hey, Case, where have you been all evening?"

"Olivia needed to speak to me."

"Is everything alright?"

"I…" She hesitated and then shook her head. "I just need some sleep. It's been a long day."

"You sure that's it?"

"Yes, Der. I'm fine."

He frowned and noticed she continued to look anywhere but at him as she spoke.

"Casey, I can tell when something is eating at you. You're great at masking your emotions on the field, but not when it comes to family, and I know I'm technically not on the case anymore, but if there's something I should know…"

"What about you?" She interrupted, obviously trying to change the subject. "Ben told me about your conversation earlier, or lack thereof."

Derek groaned and rubbed the back of his neck, looking at her remorsefully, "I didn't mean to get so angry with Ben. He's my friend and I had no right blaming him for my suspension. I was just so pissed and lashed out."

"But it's more than that… isn't it? You've been acting like a child the past few days, always whining and complaining and refusing to acknowledge orders given to you. You want to know what's bothering me? Well I want to know what's bothering you."

"I just…" Derek's shoulders slumped forward as he struggled with the right words to say. "I sound like such a girl when I say this…" He groaned, "but I… I miss you."

"You see me everyday."

"It's not the same. We hardly ever get time to be alone here, or go out on a date because there's always another mission, or more training for us to do. And now, with my suspension, I'm going to be seeing even less of you."

Casey smiled at his honesty; it took a lot for Derek to admit his feelings to her even after being together for two and half years. She also grimaced inwardly at the dreadful irony she now faced. Instead of answering him, the young woman grabbed her boyfriend by the scruff of his collar and kissed him passionately, showing him how much he truly meant to her.

"Whoa! I wasn't expecting that." Derek smirked when she reluctantly pulled away. "Not that I'm complaining."

"Derek, there's something I have to tell you."

"There's something I have to tell you too." He replied as he pulled her in for another kiss. "I love you so much, Case, and I don't want to live with Ben anymore. He's a great guy, but I don't want him to be the first face I see every morning; I want it to be yours."

"Derek…"

"I know this is by far not how you've imagined it and it's definitely not a romantic setting but I have to get this out of my system before I combust…" He said and began to get down on one knee.

"Derek, wait…"

"Casey McDonald, will you mar…"

"I'm leaving for six months!" Casey suddenly shouted.

The former hockey star was caught off guard as he shook his head and stood slowly to his feet, "What… What do you mean?"

Casey pinched the bridge of her nose and bit her bottom lip as she stared down at her feet. This was so not how she wanted this conversation to go.

"Casey, speak to me. What are you talking about?"

She finally looked up into his eyes as her sapphire blue orbs misted over with tears, "I'm going undercover as an assassin in _The Collective_."

* * *

**Please Review your thoughts or theories or just anything at all! I'd love to hear from you!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Today is my Birthday! So here is another chapter on such a special day! **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter **

**4**

The Swan Headquarters

Washington, DC

8:47 AM

"Hey, Casey!" Benjamin Blake's voice hollered from down the hall as the young agent was about to open the door to the meeting room; her hand paused on the handle as she turned to greet her long-time partner and friend.

"Hey, Ben." Casey forced a half smile while trying to appear as if nothing was wrong, even though her head was pounding from the lack of sleep she'd received the night before.

"Have you seen Derek? He didn't return home last night." Ben asked with a worried expression clouding his handsome face.

Casey's eyes widened with fear. "He didn't?"

The blonde shook his head, "I stayed up for a while because I wanted to talk to him, but he never showed. I thought he might be out with you, so I finally just went to bed. This morning I checked his room and he wasn't there."

"Well… maybe he got up early to train?" She suggested, mainly trying to convince herself that nothing was wrong.

Ben gave her a pointed look with a raised brow, "Derek getting up early to train? You're kidding me, right?"

Casey sighed and muttered under her breath, "I knew I shouldn't have let him walk away last night."

"What happened last night?"

"I…" She was about to speak but the voice of their boss cut her off as the woman poked her head outside the door with an impatient scowl.

"Agent McDonald and Agent Blake, we're waiting for you."

"We'll discuss this after." Ben said with a hand on her back as he led her into the room where Karma and a couple of people Casey didn't recognize were already seated around the large glass table.

"Sorry." Casey dipped her head in apology as she and Benjamin took their seats.

Casey couldn't even focus when Olivia Inez began to speak. Her thoughts were only on one thing. Derek. Her mind shifted back to their conversation from the other night when Derek was about to propose to her and she blurted out her new mission.

"_I'm going undercover as an assassin in _The Collective_."_

_ Derek just stood there staring at her, blinking rapidly and trying to wrap his mind around the words she'd just spoken._

_ "That's what Olivia wanted to speak to me about." Casey continued while watching him warily, wishing he would say something, anything. Instead, he let out a heavy sigh and ran a hand through his short-cropped hair, avoiding her gaze. "Taiki, the kid I saved in Japan has a chip in his brain that _The Collective_ wants. It has information about them that no one else knows. Information that we can use to our advantage." _

_ Derek rubbed his neck with a deep-set scowl on his face, still refusing to speak to her._

_ Casey couldn't handle the silence anymore as she reached out and pulled him towards her, grabbing his chin and forcing him to meet her eyes, "I wouldn't do it if it wasn't completely necessary, you know that. This may be our only shot at taking them down. They have killed too many people and _The Swan _believes they're planning something that will endanger the lives of millions if they're not stopped in time."_

_ "Why you?" He finally croaked out. _

_ "Why not me?" She answered defensively. "I'm fully capable of the task."_

_ "It's too dangerous, Casey."_

"_I'm not helpless, Derek." She ground out through clenched teeth._

"_I didn't say that. It's just… Do you realize what this kind of job entails?"_

_ "I do, but I don't care. If it means saving lives, I'll do anything."_

_ Derek groaned and pulled away from her, "What if you're found out? These people are not idiots. They're trained assassins and master criminal minds for crying out loud! They wouldn't even hesitate to put a bullet through your head. Is that what you want?"_

_ The young agent pursed her lips and glared at her boyfriend defiantly, "I _have_ to do it. This is my job, Derek. This is my life."_

_ "What about me? Aren't I a part of your life?" He finally snapped harshly and grabbed her by the arms. "Damn it, Casey! I want to_ MARRY_ you, I want to settle down some day with a couple kids running around and not have to worry about freaking missions and saving the world at every turn!"_

_ "Well I'm not ready for that!" Casey snapped back in his face._

_ Derek flinched away like she'd just sucker punched him in the gut and released his hold on her. He let out a defeated scoff, "Well… I guess that's my answer."_

_ "Derek…"_

_ "Save it, Case. This damn job obviously means more to you than anything else." He growled out with a dismissive wave._

_ "Derek, please…"_

_ "For your sake, I hope this mission works out, but don't expect me to be here when you return." He said and began stomping away furiously._

_ "Derek…" Casey whispered under her breath as a tear fell from her eye and rolled down her cheek while she watched his retreating form disappear from her sight. _

"Agent McDonald, are you paying attention?" Olivia's words cut through Casey's thoughts and the young agent whipped her head up from where she'd been staring absently at the table.

"I… I'm sorry."

"Where is your head this morning? I need your undivided attention. This mission, after all, relies heavily on you."

"I know. I just… Continue." She nodded, pushing thoughts of Derek to the back of her mind for the time being. She needed to focus.

"As I was saying," Olivia spoke, narrowing her eyes at the young agent. "I have gone through the file Mr. Kaito graciously provided us with and even though it does hold vast amounts of information we didn't know about _The Collective_, it still doesn't explain their next move and what they plan to do with the chip inside his head. Agent McDonald and I discussed it last night and decided that the only way to truly take down our enemy is to become the enemy."

"I'm sorry, what?" Karma asked in confusion.

"Agent McDonald will be going undercover as an assassin in _The Collective_ for six months, or however long it takes for us to put a stop to the killing once and for all."

"What?" Benjamin exclaimed loudly. "You've got to be kidding me! That's insane!"

"The agency has been doing it for years, Agent Blake. When there is a threat this worldwide, we will do whatever it takes to bring them down."

"But it's suicide, Casey!" Ben said as he turned to where she sat beside him with fearful eyes.

"Not you too." Casey groaned, dropping her head into her hands.

"Many of our agents have been assigned such tasks in the past," Olivia continued to speak. "Agent McDonald knew that taking this job would someday require this kind of assignment. It is what we do here and why our agency is so covert and hidden."

"How many of those agents have returned fully unharmed over the years?" Ben questioned with a raised brow.

"Enough to keep this agency doing what we do best."

"What about Phillip Greenwood? Look at what happened to him after he went undercover for you. The guy had to fake his own death and remain a ghost in this world. We thought he was the enemy and in the end he died trying to prove he was on our side."

"What happened to Agent Greenwood is irrelevant. He was also working as a triple spy and got way in over his head. He didn't follow protocol, or stick to the original assignment."

"I still don't think this is a good idea." He shook his head stubbornly as he glared at his boss.

"Well the matter isn't up to you anyway and if you disagree so much, you can leave right now, Agent Blake. The choice is yours."

Ben glanced at Casey who was pleading with him through her eyes, "I can't do this without you, Ben. You're my partner and you always will be. I need to know you have my back and trust me."

There was no way he could refuse those big blue eyes as he let out a sigh of resignation and nodded his head, "Fine. I'll help you, but I'm not happy about it."

Casey smiled and squeezed his hand in appreciation while Olivia addressed them once again.

"This of course will not be any simple-minded mission, Agent McDonald. It will require that you undergo an intensive training program for two weeks and given a new identity." She gestured across the table at a man who seemed to be in his late fifties with short grey hair, a goatee, and grim hazel eyes staring back at her. "This is Colonel Mark Yemchuk, he will be your combat trainer."

"But I'm already trained in combat." Casey replied with a frown.

"Do you know how to shoot a real gun, or fight to kill?" The man spoke with a thick Russian accent that sent shivers down her spine.

"N… no. Not exactly."

"Then you are not trained in _all _combat."

Olivia cleared her throat and gestured at the seat next to him where a stunning Hispanic lady was seated. "This is Miss. Carmela Reyes. She will be in charge of changing your look and creating a new identity for you." She had piercing violet eyes that were obviously contacts and her dark hair was shaved off on one side and styled with purple highlights to match her eyes; the look suited her. It gave off the badass vibe but guessing by the sweet smile she displayed, it wasn't her only trait.

"Friends call me Mela." She spoke with a dip of her head, "and I can't wait to get started on your new look." She grinned excitedly, which had Casey feeling a bit uneasy.

"And lastly we have Agent Dominic Morvis." Olivia said, directing their attention to the middle-aged Jamaican man, complete with short dreadlocks hanging loosely around his face. She also noticed a distinct scar in the shape of an x on his neck. "He will be training you on everything you need to know about being an assassin and infiltrating on enemy lines."

"This ain't no picnic." Dominic spoke with a serious tone as his eyes bore into Casey's. "One wrong move and you're dead. _Pow!_" He exclaimed, pointing his finger in the shape of a gun her way. "I hope you're ready for this."

"Training will begin immediately." Olivia commanded.

"What exactly is our part in all of this?" Karma spoke up with questioning eyes.

"You will be Agent McDonald's support team. I will also need the two of you to examine the contents of File _74235C6. _Go deep and do your best to uncover every inch that could be of aid for the mission. The more we know of how _The Collective_ works, the better chance we have of infiltrating them and getting our agent in and out safely." The redhead addressed all three of them as she spoke the next words. "For the next two weeks, you will eat, sleep, and dream of this mission. Am I clear? Nothing can get in the way, or we will fail."

_What about Derek? _Casey wondered as she chewed her bottom lip. _Where does he fit into all of this? Does he even fit at all? He basically ended our relationship last night… Derek, please don't leave._

(=)

Road to Enchantment Bar

Washington, DC

9:51 AM

"Hey, buddy! Rise and shine!" A deep voice grunted and Derek felt a hard shove on his shoulder as he pried his eyes open and surveyed his surroundings in confusion.

He was seated in a corner booth in what appeared to be a bar. A couple men sat on stools at the front talking amiably amongst themselves with beers in their hands while four others played pool adjacent to him. Soft music played in the background and the place smelt of liquor and smoke.

"Huh? W… where am I?" The former hockey star asked. His voice was hoarse and his mouth tasted disgusting.

"You fell asleep here last night after a few drinks. This ain't no hotel, man. You either order something else, or I have to ask you to beat it." A tall bearded man wearing a white apron said as he stood over him with a condescending glare. "You're lucky I let you stay as long as I did, but only because I recognize you."

Derek perked up at that as he eyed the man warily, "W… what do you mean?"

"You're Derek Venturi. Former NHL star from Canada. I remember watching that game in Boston and seeing you suddenly lose your mind and attack your teammate for no reason. Then you up and disappeared, never showing your face on the ice again." He shook his head with disappointment.

"Yeah, well life is complicated." He grumbled in reply.

"If you don't mind me askin'… What happened to you? I'm sure they didn't fire you. You were a natural player. My son even chose your number to wear when he began hockey in school."

"I'd rather not talk about it." He could feel a headache coming on as he rubbed his temples, wishing the guy would stop talking already.

"It was a girl, wasn't it?" He asked with a grin as he placed his hands on his hips. "They'll do that to ya. They suck you in, crush your dreams, and before you know it, you're living a completely different life than the one you wanted." He obviously spoke from experience.

"No kidding." Derek mumbled bitterly. He then looked up at the guy and said, "You know what? I'll have another drink."

The man slapped him on the back with a look of sympathy, "This one's on the house," and walked away, leaving the young man with a piercing headache and a broken heart to mull over.

His cell phone began buzzing in his pocket and he pulled it out to see he had eight missed calls, six from Casey and two from Ben.

"Just leave me alone." He groaned under his breath and closed his eyes.

Suddenly it began to ring in his hand. He opened his eyes and was about to press ignore when he noticed it was a long distance number, a number he recognized and couldn't resist answering.

"Hey, it's Smerek, the one and only." He answered with a slight grin.

The laugh on the other end caused his heart to ache with longing.

"Hey, Derek," his baby sister Marti replied. She no longer had that small and innocent tone to her voice, but he was glad he could still elicit a laugh from the teen. "Sorry it's so early, but I thought since it's a Saturday that you might pick up."

"I'd never purposely miss a call from you, kiddo."

"How are you doing? We haven't talked in a few weeks. I know work has been busy for you, but I just miss hearing your voice."

Derek let out a sigh and nodded thanks to the bar tender that set his drink down in front of him, "I've been alright. You have no idea how much I miss you too, all of you."

"Is Casey with you?"

Even the sound of her name right now caused his fist to clench in anger, "No. She's not here."

"Is everything okay between you two? You sound upset." He was never able to hide his feelings from his sister, no matter how hard he tried. The kid was intuitive.

"I'm not going to lie. Things are… difficult at the moment. I don't want you to worry though."

"What do you mean by difficult? Did you break up?" The fear in her voice was unmistakable. Marti had been their number one supporter since the two came out about their relationship to the family. It would crush her to know how he was feeling at the moment.

"We just had a bit of a fight. It's nothing to worry about."

"Oh." He heard her let out a sigh of relief. "You guys always fight, so that's nothing new. I thought it was actually serious."

_If you only you knew… _

"What did you do this time?" Marti asked with an accusing tone, causing Derek to choke on the sip he'd just taken from his drink.

"What makes you think it's _my_ fault?" He asked defensively.

"Isn't it usually?"

"You have a point there, but this time I can assure you it's not."

"Derek… You're not lying to me about the seriousness of this fight, are you? I mean… should I talk to Casey?"

"No, you don't need to talk to her; besides, she's too busy to talk to you anyway. Just… don't mention this to anyone right now, especially Dad and Nora. It doesn't concern them."

"Ok. I promise. You will let me know when everything is okay again, won't you?"

"Yeah, of course." He nodded. _If that even happens… _

"Well I should go. I'm supposed to be babysitting Simon and it's suddenly gotten very quiet in the other room."

Derek chuckled, "That's usually not a good sign."

"You're telling me. The other day, Nora left him alone for a minute while she finished cooking dinner and he ended up knocking over the TV because he decided to play soccer in the house."

"Is the TV okay?"

"He cracked it in the corner of the screen but it wasn't too serious."

Derek recalled the time he and Casey had been left home alone for the weekend and knocked over the TV due to their meatloaf fight. He thought he was going to die when it wouldn't turn on, until he realized it was just unplugged. He never did tell Casey the real reason it started working again. He thought it was cute how she believed it was her moth-blood feminine powers that did it.

_Casey… _He shook his head to clear his mind and took another long sip of his drink, almost gagging as the liquid touched his taste buds. He never liked the bitter taste of beer and didn't drink it often because of that, but now he welcomed it with open arms if it would lend a hand in drowning his sorrows.

"I really hope you guys can come visit again soon. The only one we ever see now is Edwin, but that's because he just got a job in London and his girlfriend lives near the house. Lizzie's in Toronto and, just like Casey, hardly ever takes time off work to see us." Marti was saying and he could feel the sadness in her words.

"I promise that I will visit soon, with or without Casey."

"Well we'd prefer Casey join you, but ok. You better keep that promise."

He'd prefer Casey join him as well, but that was highly unlikely now, considering she was leaving for six months and endangering her life in a way she never has before.

_Smash! _ A loud noise sounded from the other end of the phone, causing Marti to shriek in surprise.

"I gotta go, Derek! Simon just broke Nora's lamp in the living room. I'm so dead."

"See ya, Smarti. Good luck." He smirked, remembering a time he was Simon's age and causing chaos for his babysitters.

"I'll need it. Tell Casey I say hi if you see her. Love you!" The young teen said before the line went dead.

"I love you too." Derek breathed out with a sigh and placed his phone back in his pocket.

He lifted the mug to his lips and chugged down the rest of the bitter drink before wiping his mouth with his green shirtsleeve and contemplating his next move.

_I can't let her go through with this… _

Derek stood from the table with a slight wobble, set a couple bills underneath his cup and walked out the door of the bar with a new determination.

_I need to stop Casey from leaving._

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	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry it has been almost a month since my last update. Life just gets in the way sometimes. **

**Thanks for those that have reviewed and left comments or theories. It means a lot.**

**Here is chapter 5. Please let me know your thoughts in a Review. Thanks!**

* * *

**Chapter **

**5**

The Swan Headquarters

Medical Wing

11:34 AM

Before beginning her training, Casey stopped in to see how Taiki was doing. Dr. Shepherd and a few other curious scientists that worked for the agency in the medical lab were currently examining the young man.

"Hey, Casey!" Taiki exclaimed with a smile when he saw her enter the room.

He was sitting in that dentist's chair again as the tech from the ceiling scanned his brain with a blue beam circling his head and the doctor made notes.

"How's it going so far?" The young agent asked, hoping she wasn't disturbing their work too much.

"They're still trying to figure out what the chip does." Taiki replied. "All they know so far is that it's the reason why I'm so smart and my brain can sometimes download certain information."

"We have also detected some kind of inscription on the back of the chip but are still trying to make out what it says." Dr. Shepherd said, causing Casey to swoon at his accent like always.

"How did you see that when the chip is still in his head?"

"The computer scanned it, providing us with an exact replica displayed on the image reader to study."

"That's amazing." The young agent marveled as the doctor indicated the holographic image before them.

The see-through screen showed a purple rectangular device with the etchings of what appeared to be another language on it's surface, but it was still too small to make out.

"Does this zoom in?"

"We are working on it right now. One of the circuits malfunctioned on us."

"This is interesting." Casey said while leaning closer for a better look.

Dr. Shepherd nodded, "I've never seen anything like it before. Whoever created it was a genius."

"Oh yeah, they were a real genius placing a chip inside a three-year-old kid's head," Taiki scoffed with sarcasm. "Who knows what else this thing could do."

Casey placed a hand on his shoulder, sensing his discomfort about the whole subject.

"If there was any way to remove it without harming you, we would." She smiled sympathetically at the troubled young man.

"I know. I'd give anything to have a normal brain." He sighed with a shake of his head. He then looked up at her with a new topic in mind. "I heard about your assignment."

The young agent looked at him in confusion, "How? It was basically just given."

"Ms. Inez told me. She wants my help getting you into _The Collective_."

"How will you do that?"

"I have some information that may help get you in."

"What is it?"

"I'm not supposed to say yet until your boss is sure we're going to use it."

"That's understandable."

"Are you nervous at all?"

"About what?"

"The assignment. Have you ever gone undercover as a criminal before?"

Casey shook her head, "No… Well a little…" She half smiled at him. "To be honest, Taiki, this will be my first official deep undercover assignment, so I will definitely be under a lot of pressure, but with the proper training and motivation, I know I'll be fine."

"That's great to hear."

"Speaking of training, I better get going. It's going to be a long two weeks."

"Hold on there, Agent McDonald." Dr. Shepherd said. "We got the system working again. You might want to see this."

The doctor averted her attention to the holographic screen and zoomed in on the purple chip in Taiki's brain. A Japanese symbol was etched into the middle of the tiny square.

"I'm afraid I don't know much Japanese," Dr. Shepherd apologized as they inspected it. "Do you know what it says?"

"I think it means eternity…" Casey guessed while trying to remember the symbols she'd studied in her languages training class at _R.E.D_.

"You're close," Taiki spoke with a grim expression. "It means infinity."

"Infinity? What does that have to do with a chip?"

He shook his head, "I'm not sure."

"We better inform Ms. Inez." Dr. Shepherd said as he pulled out his phone and began to dial.

"I should really get going before I'm late. Colonel Yemchuk seems tough and I'd rather not disappoint him on my first day." Casey grimaced and headed for the exit.

"Thanks for stopping by, Casey. I'll see you soon, right?" Taiki asked.

"Hopefully." The young agent waved goodbye before hurrying to her first training session.

**(=)**

Office Wing

9:41 PM

"What do you make of these equations and codes?" Karma asked her boyfriend as the two sat in Ben's office going over the file Taiki had given them. She handed him the paper she'd been reading with a sigh of frustration. "It's like another language. I can't figure this stuff out."

"I think we need a break. We've been going at this since noon." Ben replied as he leaned back in his chair and stretched out his arms with a yawn. "My brain can't take in anymore information without combusting all over this desk."

"We can't stop until we have something that will benefit Casey's mission."

"I know, I know." Ben grumbled while taking the paper she handed him and began looking it over.

Karma placed her hand over his, forcing him to look into her eyes as she spoke softly, "It's killing you that she was asked to go alone, isn't it?"

He ran a hand over his stubbled face and breathed out deeply through his nose, "I just… I've always been right there with her. We've been partners for six years, Kar. How does Inez expect me to just sit back while Casey goes in there alone? It'll be like surrendering an innocent lamb to a pack of vicious wolves."

"Casey can handle herself."

"I know, but I'd still feel a lot better at her side."

"Just think how Derek feels."

"Speaking of Derek; the guy still hasn't shown his face around here since last night."

"Do you think he's okay?"

"After what Casey told us…" Ben shook his head with a frown. "The poor guy finally got up the nerve to propose only to get slapped in the face by this mission. He's taking it hard, and I really can't blame him."

"Casey's not exactly composed about this either. She only puts on a façade for the Agency, but I can tell she's about to crumble, especially if Derek doesn't return and support her."

Ben nodded and once again stared down at the sheet of equations and codes that Taiki had written out for them from his mind. His eyes widened when he suddenly understood what they meant as he turned to his girlfriend and spoke hurriedly, "We need to call Inez up here immediately!"

"What's wrong?"

"Whatever _The Collective_ is planning, it's going to involve a mass genocide."

"This mission just got a whole lot worse."

**(=)**

Women's Dormitory Wing

10:25 PM

Casey could hardly keep her eyes from closing as she shoved open the door to her place and collapsed on the couch in the living room, not bothering to even take off her shoes. She hadn't trained this hard in a long time and it was draining.

First, Colonel Yemchuk had her show him some of her combat moves while he ran a simulator for her in the training room. He said her moves were impressive but she lacked brutality and had her do the same course over and over.

"You will be a lean, mean, killing machine after I'm finished with you." Yemchuk quoted with a grin while instructing her in the simulation process.

Then, she'd met with Mela, who insisted on taking snap shots of her head, hair, eyes, and body, so that she could determine the best way to transform her image to that of a vicious assassin.

"You're not going to shave my head or anything too drastic, are you?" Casey asked the woman nervously. "I mean… not that the style doesn't look good on _you _or anything…"

Mela laughed as she messed with Casey's hair and took another picture, "It's alright, sweetie. I don't think the shaved look would suit you anyway. We want you going in there as not only fierce and intimidating but also sexy as hell. You're a gorgeous woman, but after I'm finished with you, you'll be turning heads left and right in this agency."

Casey blushed and let her continue taking pictures, not sure how to respond to that.

After she'd eaten a quick dinner and fallen asleep at the table, the young agent was sent to meet with Agent Morvis. Apparently he'd been a spy at _The Swan _for thirteen years and done numerous undercover assignments. He was one of the best and that was why Olivia requested his expertise to teach Casey.

"One of the most important things to remember is to _never_ break character." Agent Morvis said as he stood with his hands behind his back and a solemn expression on his face. "When you go in there, you are no longer Agent Casey McDonald. That girl is gone. You will become your new identity. You _will _be an assassin. Am I clear?"

Casey nodded her head.

"It will be tough and they will try to break you if they get even the slightest hint that you aren't who you say you are. I learnt from experience on my first undercover mission." He said and pointed to the X shaped scar on his neck. "They almost broke me down, but I managed to convince them in the end."

The young agent shivered at the thought of what the enemy had done to him and avoided staring at the scar for fear of the thoughts beginning to form in her mind of returning with ones of her own.

Agent Morvis continued to brief her on the knowledge she needed to attain and what it required. He even gave her books, files, and videos to study and learn from, which was what Casey did best, so she happily accepted.

A sudden knock at the door startled the exhausted agent from her thoughts as she sat up with a groan and walked towards the entrance. She knew Karma wouldn't be back till even later because she and Ben were working hard on digging deep into the file Taiki had supplied them with, plus she wouldn't knock on her own door.

She twisted the handle and was surprised to see the one person she couldn't get out of her mind all day.

"Derek." Casey breathed out with wide eyes.

"You're finally home." He breathed out with a sigh. "Can I come in?"

She nodded silently and stepped aside for him to enter, then closed the door behind him. He looked rough. He was still dressed in the same clothes from yesterday, he smelt like beer and cigarette smoke, and he had huge dark circles under his eyes.

"Why haven't you answered my calls?" She asked with her hands on her hips.

He shrugged, "I wasn't in the talking mood."

"But you are now?" She raised a brow and folded her arms across her chest.

"I was earlier when I tried finding you but your training is obviously more important."

Casey rolled her eyes. "Don't start that crap, Derek. Where have you been? Ben said you never came home last night and you wreak like you spent the night in a bar."

"That's exactly what I did."

"Der-ek!" She raised her voice and smacked him on the shoulder. "Anything could've happened to you! I've been worried sick!"

He glared at her, his brown eyes penetrating her blues, "You've got to be kidding me right now, Case. How do you think_ I'll_ feel when you take this assignment?"

Casey shook her head and looked away from him, "I already told you, I'm doing this whether you agree or not."

"There are so many other agents here fully capable of going. Ones that don't have a boyfriend or girlfriend that will be constantly on edge and thinking about them every second that they're gone." Derek said as he began pacing the room.

"Olivia choseme, Derek. She _chose me_. Do you have any idea what that means? I've been going crazy with the lack of missions over the past two years due to extra training. I've been _waiting _for something like this to happen, _needing _it. This is my chance to prove what I can do."

Derek suddenly grabbed her by the arms and forced her to look at him, "I can't lose you, Casey! I can't do it again!"

A look of understanding washed over her features as she lifted her hand to caress his face and softened her tone, "What happened in Germany and in Russia was not your fault. You need to forgive yourself and move on. It's been _two years,_ Derek."

"I don't want to ever feel like that again." He closed his eyes, forcing the tears back and refusing to cry in front of her. "Watching that helicopter lift into the air with your unconscious body onboard was the hardest thing I've ever had to face. I didn't think I would ever see you again."

"But you did."

"That's not the point."

"Yes it is. You _did _see me again, Derek. You didn't give up, you managed to help save me and the entire world in the process." She folded her arms across her chest as she narrowed her eyes at him and spoke. "Your problem is that you lack faith."

"Apparently I lack anything to do with this freaking job." He growled bitterly and stepped back. He ran his hands through his already messed up hair and let out a sigh, "I don't want to do this anymore."

Casey's breath caught in her throat at the pained look in his eyes, wondering what he meant by _this_.

"You're breaking up with me?" She whispered as tears began to mist in her eyes.

"No, Case." He threw up his hands in frustration. "I don't want to live _this_ life anymore. I'm tired of living in secret and never seeing our family. Don't you miss them?"

"Of course I do, but I do this because of them. When we first got together, I asked you if you could handle this kind of life and you said yes. Now you suddenly change your mind?"

"I would've agreed to anything just to be with you! That's what love is! It's about making sacrifices, and I paid the ultimate one. I gave up my _career_ for you!"

"So now you're suddenly just taking it all back?"

"Not without you. Can't we both just turn away and start a new life together? Let's move back to London and spend time with our family. Our little brother barely knows who we are anymore because we only see him maybe once a year. Marti is a teenager now, a freaking _teenager_, Casey. Soon she's going to get so fed up with waiting for us to call or visit and is going to start rebelling against our parents and hating us."

"You're over-exaggerating."

"No I'm not!" He snapped with clenched fists at his sides.

Casey hung her head, hating to see him act this way, but what she hated even more was what she needed to say, "Derek, I love you too, more than anything, but… I can't just walk away. This job is a part of who I am and if I… If I leave, I'm afraid I'll lose a part of myself."

"Maybe it's time you make a sacrifice for me."

"Maybe it's time that you actually believe in me."

"I do believe in you, Case, but I just… I can't let you do this. I don't feel right about it."

"I don't need your permission."

"Casey…"

"I'm done with this conversation, Derek. If you can't stand by me, then I don't want you here."

"You don't mean that."

"If you miss our family so much, then go see them and let me do my job."

"Your job is going to kill you!" He suddenly exclaimed loudly with a red face.

Casey just stared at him for a moment as a pained expression crossed her features in the deafening silence that surrounded them. There was no changing his mind. She knew what she had to do, even though the thought caused her stomach to wrench in pain.

"If you can't support me… Then I don't want to be in this relationship anymore." She said with all the strength she could muster as she fought to hold back the tears threatening to fall.

Derek's face was expressionless as he shook his head and began to walk towards the door, "Fine. Have it your way, Case. This wasn't much of a relationship anymore anyway."

He was about to twist the handle when the door unexpectedly swung open on it's own.

"Oh, hey, Derek!" Karma said as she entered the dormitory. "Ben's been worried about you." She suddenly felt the tension in the room as she looked back and forth between her friends and frowned. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt…"

"We're done here anyway." Derek deadpanned. He turned back towards Casey with a cold hard stare and spoke, "If I don't see you in six months… I guess I'll know why."

"Derek?" Karma asked as he walked out the door.

Derek looked at the young blonde remorsefully and ground out through clenched teeth, "See you around, Kar," before he was gone, the door slamming shut behind him.

"Casey…?" Karma looked at her roommate and friend with utter confusion and immediately rushed to her side when Casey suddenly dropped to her knees with her head in her hands as tears began streaming down her face.

"What did I just do?" The young agent sobbed into her roommate's arms.

"What happened?"

"I ended it. I told him to leave. I had to do it, Kar. I had to. The world needs me." She cried into her roommate's shoulder.

Karma had never seen Casey break down like this and wasn't exactly sure how to handle it as she smoothed back her friend's hair and rubbed her back while trying to calm her with a reply, "Sshh. It's going to be okay, Casey. He'll be back."

"But _I'll_ be gone."

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**Thanks fro reading! I hope you're not too upset with me... I promise it will get better... eventually... ;)**

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**God Bless!**


	6. Chapter 6

**I stayed up later than I wanted to just so I could finish this chapter and post it for you guys! **

**I hope you like it. Please let me know your thoughts!**

**Thanks to those who reviewed. :)**

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**Chapter **

**6**

The hallway was dark and narrow as she edged along the wall, clutching her tranquilizer gun in one hand while using the other to feel her way through the lack of light. She was blind. A sudden noise from up ahead startled her and the grip on her gun tightened when she noticed a closed door with light shining through the bottom, trying to escape into the rest of the surrounding darkness.

She wanted to call out but decided against it and continued forward with caution.

Stopping at the door, she placed her hand on the knob and slowly twisted. The wood creaked, causing her to cringe slightly, as it opened and she peered inside.

"He's got the puck and he's racing for the net!" A loud voice suddenly announced and she realized that she'd been transported to a hockey arena during a game. The crowd was cheering and going wild as one of the players skated across the ice with the puck in his possession towards the opposing team's net. She recognized the number on the player's back and her heart sped up.

"Derek."

"Think again, Casey." A familiar voice spoke and she spun around to see him seated next to her in the bleachers with a grim expression etched onto his face.

"W… What are you doing up here? Aren't you supposed to be down there? You were about to score a goal."

"That goal never happened."

"How come?"

"Because my hockey career is over, and now apparently so is our relationship." He sighed with a shake of his head. "We'll never get a chance to live normal again. Thanks to you, Casey, I have nothing."

"That's not true. You still have_ me_."

"Do I?"

"Of course you do!"

"You're not even _you_ anymore." He said as he stood up with a remorseful look upon his face.

"What do you mean?"

"Goodbye, Casey."

"No, wait, Derek!" She cried and grabbed his arm before he could leave but when she looked around she was back in that doorway, standing in a dimly lit room.

"Derek…?" She breathed out as her eyes began to search desperately for him. He couldn't' be gone. He just couldn't.

"Are you finally going to set me free?" A weak voice spoke up from the corner, startling the secret agent. Her finger tightened on the trigger of the gun in her hand, ready to shoot anybody who would get in the way of her finding Derek.

"Who's there?" Casey asked cautiously, while taking a step forward.

"Please let me go?" The voice begged. It was a woman.

"How did you get here?" She took another few steps forward and could make out a figure seated on a wooden chair. Her hands and feet were bound by duct tape and dark hair hung over her face, shrouding it from Casey's view.

"You're here to kill me now, aren't you?" The woman trembled, refusing to lift her head and meet Casey's gaze.

"I… Why would I do that?"

"You don't want me around."

"Do I know you?"

"Quit playing games and just shoot me already!" The woman suddenly screamed with rage, frightening the confused agent as she took a step back.

"I'm not going to shoot you. This isn't even a real gun." Casey replied as she held up the weapon to show her. A gasp escaped her mouth when she noticed that this wasn't her tranquilizer gun. This one was much heavier and didn't have the blue swan logo on it. It _was _a real gun.

"I… I don't understand." She breathed out while staring at the weapon in her hand.

"Either get it over with, or let me go." The voice of the woman pleaded.

"Tell me who you are." Casey demanded, pushing her baffled thoughts about the gun to the back of her mind.

The woman began to laugh uncontrollably, which frustrated Casey even more.

"What is so funny?" She questioned with a bitter tone.

"You." The woman answered and continued to laugh. "You really don't know who I am."

"Then show me!" Casey shouted and lunged forward, gripping the woman by the shoulders and forcing her head to look up. Sapphire blue eyes identical to hers met Casey's gaze and she froze.

"I'm you." The woman grinned. "At least a part of you anyway."

"What?"

"And now I see that you'll never have the guts to kill me." She said as she suddenly stood up, the binds around her legs and hands ripping apart like paper. "So I guess _I'm_ in control now."

Before Casey could react, the gun was suddenly taken from her hand and pointed at her chest by the other version of herself.

"It's about time you unlocked that door. Now that Derek's gone, I have free reign." She smirked and then Casey watched herself pull the trigger and fire.

_BANG! _

**(=)**

The Swan Headquarters

Women's Dormitory

5:52 AM

Casey awoke with a gasp and sat up in bed. Her breathing was rapid as she tried to calm it by breathing in through her nose and out through her mouth. She was drenched in her own sweat, which was very unappealing.

"What kind of dream was that?" The disturbed agent spoke aloud to herself while dropping her head into her hands with a sigh.

_Knock Knock_.

Casey lifted her gaze towards the door at the end of her room and waited for the voice to speak from behind it.

"Casey?" It was Karma. "Can I come in?"

The young agent hurriedly stood up, grabbed a towel hanging on the back of her door and dried herself off before opening the door to her roommate's concerned face.

"Karma, what are you doing up so early?"

"I always wake up at 5:30 to do some extra training exercises in the gym." The petite blonde said while looking her over with a frown. "I was about to head out the door when I heard you screaming."

"I… I wasn't screaming." She avoided staring into her friend's eyes.

"You had another nightmare, didn't you?" Karma persisted as she placed a hand on Casey's arm.

The young agent didn't reply.

"That's the third one this week, Casey. Do you want to talk about it?"

"No." She replied with a shake of her head. "I'm fine."

"You don't seem fine. It's been six days since Derek left and you've hardly said a word. All you do is train and act like you're not tearing apart on the inside, when I know that's not true."

"Kar, I'm serious. I don't want to discuss this."

"Why not?"

"Because I have a mission to prepare for and don't have time to think about anything else!" Casey suddenly snapped angrily in her roommate's face.

Karma took a step back, removing her hand from Casey's arm and replacing it at her side.

The young agent saw the hurt look in her friend's eyes and immediately regretted raising her voice at her. She only cared and wanted to help.

"Kar, I'm sorry." Casey apologized.

Karma shook her head, "Don't apologize. I get it. You're under a lot of stress and I'm just getting in the way." She said and began to turn around to leave.

"Wait," Casey spoke and grabbed her hand. She pulled the young blonde into her arms and hugged her. "I appreciate your concern. It really does mean a lot. I just… I need to deal with this on my own right now. What happened with Derek is my problem. A part of me wants to talk about it, but another part of me knows that I need to focus on this mission. If I mess it up, the whole world could be in trouble. I can't let that happen."

"I understand." Karma smiled reassuringly while pulling away from the hug to look into her eyes. "I admire you, Casey. You would give up everything to save lives, even your own if you had to. This really is where you were meant to be."

"Thanks, Kar." Casey half smiled. "I just wish Derek was more understanding like you are."

"He is."

The young agent decided not to comment and changed the subject.

"Well since I'm up, I might as well start doing some more studying and let you carry on." She said and turned back around to head into her room once again.

"One more thing, Case…" Karma said.

"Yes?"

"You need a shower," the blonde grinned as she pinched her nose. "Your sweat smell is making me queasy."

"Don't make me drop kick you!" Casey warned with a chuckle.

"Bring it!" Karma hollered while laughing as she retreated down the hall towards the front door.

"Don't forget who trained you, Agent Hesston!"

"Exactly, Casey!_ You_ trained me, which means I know all of your moves!" The blonde peeked her head around the corner with a wink before disappearing, the sound of the door closing behind her.

Casey shook her head with a smile; thankful for the friendship she had with Karma, as she began to rummage through her drawers for something to change into that wasn't covered in sweat.

"Kar's right," Casey sniffed with a frown, "I do smell." She spoke aloud while pushing thoughts of the dream and Derek to the back of her mind and making her way towards the bathroom to have a warm shower before the rest of her day of constant training and studying would soon begin.

**(=)**

Training Simulator

3:09 PM

_BANG! BANG! BANG!_

Casey fired at the targets as they popped out in front of her; she missed one but kept moving, running through the field simulator designed to train her in combat.

"Pick up the pace, McDonald!" Colonel Yemchuk hollered into the earpiece she was wearing. "Your next target is up ahead. Don't hesitate. Just shoot."

Casey swiped at the sweat on her forehead while continuing forward at a faster pace. The lights suddenly dimmed and she slowed her pace, making sure she was aware of her surroundings and checking every shadow that loomed around her.

Suddenly a figure appeared in front of her and Casey pulled the trigger, hitting the target in the chest twice before it went down.

"You're getting better." Yemchuk's voice said as the lights turned on and the simulator faded out.

"Are we finished yet?" Casey asked while taking a breather and making her way out of the simulation room and towards her bottle of water seated on the bench of the training gym.

"We are going to try something a bit more challenging." The Colonel replied with a grim expression.

"Now?" Casey asked after chugging down a few sips of water. She was exhausted and in need of a break. She'd been training with Yemchuk for three hours now, but he still kept pushing her and telling her she wasn't ready yet.

"You have four days before the mission, agent McDonald, but you still haven't convinced me that you're ready."

"What more do I have to prove? I've passed almost every simulation you've given me, I know how to handle a real gun, and my combat has gotten stronger and stealthier."

"I want to see how you handle yourself when faced with a_ real_ situation. These people are no joke. If you can't convince them you're a professional, it's all over for you. They will test you again and again."

"How will they test me?"

"You will be asked to kill a random stranger." He deadpanned.

Casey's eyes widened, " But… I won't actually have to, right?"

"Let's hope it doesn't come down to that." A third voice spoke up and Casey turned to see Agent Dominic Morvis enter the gymnasium, followed by three tech guys from the experimental instruments lab. One of them was pushing a cart with a metal case on top.

"What's going on?" Casey asked as Agent Morvis approached her with a grin.

"It's time to step up your training and also test out some latest gadgets that may become useful on your mission."

"How so?"

"Allow the guys to demonstrate." He said gesturing to the men in white lab coats.

One of the men, a short bald man named Denver opened up the case and pulled out what appeared to be a 9mm pistol with a silencer. He held it up and aimed it at Agent Morvis.

"What are you…?" Casey began to say but was cut off as he fired the gun and the bullet hit the Jamaican full force in the chest. She screamed as blood began to form and he dropped to his knees.

"Agent Morvis!" Casey rushed to his side and placed her hand on the wound, but stopped when everyone else began laughing at her.

"What's so funny?" The flustered agent demanded to know. "We need to get him to the medical wing immediately!"

"He's fine, Agent McDonald." Denver smirked.

"What?"

"He said I'm fine." Agent Morvis suddenly said as he looked up at her with a huge grin upon his face. "Your reaction was priceless though."

"What… What is going on? You were shot… You're even bleeding…"

Dominic stood to his feet and touched the blood on his chest.

"It's not real. Neither was the bullet. The gun and the bullets appear to be real but when fired at someone, the bullet explodes before impact and releases a chemical that looks and feels like actual blood. That way, the bad guys won't become suspicious when a target is shot and not bleeding. We will also be adding a sleeping agent to it as well, that will knock the victim out for twelve hours. It's much stronger than the tranquilizer darts we use and will slow down the heart enough that it will be impossible to find an actual pulse if they check."

"Whoa…" Casey's eyes widened. She then remembered that they had tricked her with the weapon and became angry. "You couldn't have just told me this in the first place?"

"We thought it'd be more fun the other way." Agent Morvis shrugged. "And we were right."

"Well it wasn't fun for me! Men are such insolent assholes sometimes, you know that?" The young agent huffed as she turned to leave.

"Where are you going, Agent McDonald? Your training isn't finished yet!" Yemchuk hollered.

"Screw all of you! I'm going on a break!" Casey yelled and stormed out of the gym while some of the guys still continued to laugh from behind her.

Casey hurried down the hall towards the elevators and pressed the up button multiple times, even though she knew it didn't make it arrive any faster.

"Whoa, Bluebird, what's the hurry?" Ben's voice spoke from behind her.

Casey groaned and turned to glare at her partner as the elevator came to a stop and dinged open.

"Umm… I'm guessing I caught you at a bad time…" Ben speculated while Casey got into the elevator and waited for him to follow.

"Are you getting in or not?" The young agent snapped, getting impatient with the man still standing in the hall staring at her.

"I think I'll catch the next one…"

"Just get in, Benjamin!"

He knew not to mess with that tone and quickly hopped onto the elevator as the doors closed.

He noticed Casey press the top level and then she looked at him expectantly, "Where are you going?"

"I… uhh… Same as you." He lied. He was really headed towards the cafeteria to meet Karma for a late lunch but his gut was telling him that Casey needed a friend right now, so he pulled out his phone and sent a quick text to his girlfriend that he wouldn't be able to make it and placed it back in his pocket.

"So… Do you want to talk about it?" Ben asked as they continued to ascend.

"Talk about what?"

"Whatever's got you so pissed off right now…"

"I'm fine."

"You don't seem it."

The elevator stopped and the doors opened to a small rectangular room. Both agents approached the keypad located on the far wall and entered in their access codes.

A beep sounded and the door slid open, letting in the fresh air of the outside world as the two agents stepped into the deserted parking garage and the door closed back up to look like a regular cement wall.

"Do you actually have a reason for going top level, or are you just following me?" Casey asked when they began walking towards the exit.

"What's your reason for going top level?"

"I asked you first."

"Maybe I just wanted to get some fresh air." Ben argued.

"Don't we all." Casey sighed.

The duo stepped out into a clearing and breathed in the air surrounding them. Neither of them had stepped outside in almost two weeks. It felt good.

"Why are men such imbeciles most of the time?" Casey suddenly voiced her thoughts aloud, catching Ben off guard.

"Excuse me?"

Casey groaned as she kicked a rock across the open dirt field and stuffed her hands inside her pockets, "Never mind."

"Are you talking about all guys, or _one_ in particular?" Ben raised a questioning brow at her.

The young agent sighed, "Some of the guys played a stupid trick on me in the gym and I just lost it on them. I called them names and stormed out, not caring about finishing my training session. Honestly though, I could really care less about their stupid prank… it's just the fact that it reminded me of Derek…"

Ben nodded in understanding.

"Why hasn't he contacted me?" She asked rhetorically, forcing the tears back as she stared at the ground. "I can't even find him on the search grid. He even turned off his GPS tracker."

"The Agency probably did that. Derek basically quit when he walked out that door. I wouldn't be surprised if they even took him in for questioning and to sign legal documents about not breathing a word of this place to anyone."

"What if they erased his memory like they did to everyone at R.E.D.?" Casey's eyes went wide with worry.

"Olivia wouldn't let that happen."

"What if it was out of her control?"

"She would tell you, Casey."

"Not if it jeopardizes the mission."

"Look, let's not jump to conclusions just yet. I'm sure Derek just needs time to sort out everything right now. Let the guy be alone for a while. He'll come around."

Casey turned and looked up to meet her partner's eyes and spoke, "Be honest with me, Ben. If the roles were reversed and Karma was the one going undercover, would you react the same way Derek did?"

Ben averted her gaze and let out a sigh as he brought up his hand to rub his stubbled chin in thought.

"Well… Considering Kar isn't as experienced as you…"

"No. Think of her having the same amount of experience as me. Would you still allow it?"

"I wouldn't be thrilled about it," he paused with a shake of his head. He then met her gaze once again. "But if she was anything like the spy I know you are, I'd have faith in her and let her do her job because I know she's capable and determined."

Casey smiled warmly and pulled Ben into an embrace as she rested her cheek against his broad chest, "Thank you." The young agent breathed out as a tear fell from her eye.

"You have what it takes, Bluebird. I know you can do this. Being a spy is in your nature. If you can do this job, then I'm sure you can pull off being a badass assassin as well." Ben spoke softly while returning the hug.

Casey finally pulled away and wiped at her misted eyes, "I guess we better get back inside. I'm already going to get a lecture from Colonel Yemchuk about walking out the way I did. He's probably going to make me stay extra longer for training."

"Don't over exhort yourself, Casey. I'm actually proud that you told them off and took a break. You don't get enough with how hard they've been pushing you."

"I don't really have a choice. We're trying to cram years of training into two weeks. I don't really blame them for being so severe."

Ben's phone began buzzing and he pulled it out of his pocket to answer it, "Hey." Pause. "She's with me." Pause. "Just needed some fresh air." Pause. "Yeah, we'll be down right away. Love you too." He said and hung up.

"What's up?" Casey asked curiously.

"That was Kar. Inez is looking for you. She's called a meeting and apparently it's very important."

"Uh oh…" The young agent's eyes widened. "Am I in trouble?"

"Nah. I doubt the Colonel would actually tattle on you to the boss. It's probably to do with the mission, so we better hurry down there." Ben said as they both began sprinting towards the entrance back into their secret underground facility.

**(=)**

Meeting Room

4:37 PM

"We have your Alias and your way into The Collective." Olivia Inez announced from the head of the large glass table and slid a manila file folder Casey's way. The young agent caught it and held it in her hands while glancing around at the rest of the table's occupants, which consisted of: Agent Blake, Agent Hesston, Agent Morvis, Colonel Yemchuk, Mela, Dr. Shepherd and Taiki.

"How am I getting in?" Casey asked while gripping the folder and refusing to acknowledge its existence at the moment.

"Through a source that would prefer to remain anonymous, we have discovered that The Collective is looking to recruit some new members to their secret alliance. Apparently they will be holding some kind of auditions that will require you to use your skills in any way they deem necessary. You're basically being tested."

"But what if I fail?"

"You won't. We'll be with you every step of the way."

"How?"

"Our tech team has created a new pair of colored contacts you will be wearing with your new identity. They aren't just contacts though, they will remain in your eyes and never get dry or itchy, and they will provide us with a video feed of your every encounter while undercover. We will see what you see."

"What about if she's going to the bathroom or showering?" Ben asked with a raised brow, basically voicing Casey's exact thoughts.

"All you have to do is touch the inside lobe of your right ear whenever you wish to have some privacy, however, we request you never leave it off for more than an hour at a time."

"And how will I hear you? They will no doubt be searching for listening devices imbedded in my ears."

"Not if we inject it."

Casey's eyes widened, "You're not serious, are you?"

"It's the only way we can stay in contact with you."

"I'm going to have you speaking in my ear 24/7?"

"No. You will be able to control it by pinching your left earlobe."

"Right is Eyes, left is ears." The young agent repeated a couple of times to herself with a nod.

"We will be able to guide you during the audition in any way we can. Most of it will depend on you though, Agent McDonald."

"I understand."

Her hands shook as she looked down at the folder in her hand, knowing everyone was eagerly waiting for her to open it and read it's contents, but the young agent couldn't help hesitating.

"Go ahead and take a look." Ben urged her with a gentle nudge from the seat next to her. "Karma and I assisted in putting it together."

Casey raised a surprised brow at him, "You came up with my alias?" She couldn't believe they hadn't mentioned it to her.

"A part of it." He caught on to her thoughts and continued to speak. "The only reason we didn't tell you was because we didn't want to distract you from your training and everything else going on until it was ready. You've had enough to worry about this past week as it is."

She nodded, understanding his reasons and let her eyes settle back on the folder being gripped tightly in her hands. Once she opened it, there was no going back. She would have a new identity, the identity of an assassin.

_What if Derek is right? _She wondered. _What if I am in way over my head this time and it kills me? _

"I know you've had a lot to deal with and it hasn't been an easy week, Agent McDonald," Inez spoke up, sensing Casey's hesitance, "but I have no doubt in my mind that you are the agent for this job. We all believe in you."

_But the one person I truly need to believe in me doesn't… _She thought with a frown.

"Derek believes in you too, Casey," Ben leaned in and whispered in her ear while placing his hand over hers with encouragement, "Don't believe the lies that tell you otherwise."

The young agent took in a deep breath and let it out with a sigh as she slowly opened the file and began reading it over.

* * *

**So this chapter involved some feel-good moments between Casey and her best friends. It was sweet. **

**You also got introduced to some pretty awesome gadgets. It'll be great when Casey can use them herself.**

**Please leave a review and let me know what you liked, disliked, if you have any theories or suggestions... Anything! I love hearing from you!**

**Thanks for reading!**


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